Diaper with thigh-opening closure means

ABSTRACT

A diaper having a pair of end edges and a pair of sides connecting the end edges, and including, front and back waistband portions at the end edges with a crotch portion therebetween. The diaper has adhering means positioned below the waistband portion but above the bottom of the crotch section of the diaper and adjacent both of the connecting sides to tighten the diaper about an infant&#39;&#39;s legs after placement of the diaper about the infant.

United States Patent [1 1 Schaar i Dec. 4, 1973 DIAPER WITHTHIGH-OPENING CLOSURE MEANS [75] Inventor: Charles H. Schaar, LakeZurich, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company, New

' York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: June 21, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 155,008

[52] US. Cl. 128/287 [51] Int. Cl. A611 13/16 [58] Field of Search128/284, 286, 287

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,494,933 111950 Donahue128/284 2,714,889 8/1955 Chambers... 128/284 2,779,333 1/1957 Gordon128/287 2,788,786 4/1957 Dexter 128/284 2,869,647 4/1958 Dexter 128/2843,180,335 4/1965 Duncan et al. 128/287 3,221,738 l2/1965 Ekberg et a1.128/287 3,642,001 2/1972 Sabee 128/287 Primary EJ raminerCharles F.Rosenbaum AttorneyPowell L. Sprunger [57] ABSTRACT A diaper having apair of end edges and a pair of sides connecting the end edges, andincluding, front and back waistband portions at the end edges with acrotch portion therebetween. The diaper has adhering means positionedbelow the waistband portion but above the bottom of the crotch sectionof the diaper and adjacent both of the connecting sides to tighten thediaper about an infants legs after placement of the diaper about theinfant.

19 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures "1 DIAPER WITH THIGH-OPENING CLOSURE MEANSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION cent the legs, thus permitting the escape ofbody fluids through these openings. Moreover, if a close fit about thelegs has been achieved upon the initial diapering of the infant, latermovement of the legs frequently develops such gaps in the diaper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal feature of the present inventionis the provision of a diaper which closely conforms to the contour ofthe body about an infants legs to prevent the escape of waste from thediaper.

The diaper of this invention comprises an absorbent pad having a pair ofend edges and a pair of sides connecting the end edges, and includesfront and back waistband portions at the end edges, a crotch portionlocated substantially midway between the waistband portions, and frontand back body-covering sections between the crotch and waistbandportions.'Thediaper has adhering means adjacent both of the connectingsides located in the body-covering sections intermediate the waistbandand crotch portions.

A feature of the present invention is that the adhering means extendbeyond the connecting sides intermediate one of the waistband portionsof the diaper and its center, such that the adhering means may beadhered to the corresponding diaper portion between the other "waistbandportion and the center after placement of the diaper to secure a snugfit about the infants legs. Another feature of the invention is that theadhering means are generally aligned with the connecting sides,.permitting the adhering means to secure a tuck in the of the diaperabout the infants legs.

The diaper may be folded for packaging into a generally rectangularshape having a central trapezoidal region of multiple thickness and apair of generally righttriangular regions of multiple thickness. Each ofthev right-triangular regions has a hypotenuse generally aligned withone of the non-parallel sides of the trapezoidal region.

Another feature of the invention is that the sides of theright-triangular and trapedzoidal regions are in close proximity withoutoverlap, thus providing a generally flat folded diaper which isdesirable for packag- Further features will become more fully apparentin the following description of the embodiments of this invention andfrom the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a diaper illustrating the locationof the adhering means in one embodiment of the invention, the diaperbeing prefolded preparatory to diapering an infant;

FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. are diagrammatic plan views of the diaper of FIG. 1,further f'olded for packaging;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the diaper of FIG. 1illustrating a configuration of the diaper after application to aninfant;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view from the backside of a diaperpartially folded as in FIG. 1, illustratinganother embodiment of theadhering means;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the diaper of FIG. 5 initsconfiguration'after application to the infant;

FIG. 7 is a plan view from the'backside of a generally flat diaperhaving the adhering means of the present invention; and

FIGS. 8 and 9are diagrammatic plan views illustrating configurations ofthe diaper of FIG. 1 during placement on the infant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The following detaileddescription will be directed to a disposable diapenI-Iowever, it will beapparent that the invention additionally relatesto conventional clothdiapers.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a disposable diaper, generally designated10,-is shown having a customary absorbent pad 12 and a water-imperviousbacking sheet 14 having marginal portions thereof folded over to thefront or absorbent side of the diaper along the periphery thereof. Thediaper 10 has top and bottom edges 20v and 22, respectively, and lateraledges 24- and 26 which extend between the end edges20 and 22. Thelongitudinal and center axes of symmetry of the diaper are respectivelydesignated by the lines X X and Y-Y.

In one embodiment of the invention the lateral diaper edges 24 and 26are folded inwardly, withthe fold lines 16 and 18 defining a majorportion of the sides of the diaper 17 and '19-which connect the endedges 20 and j 24 and 26 near the enddiaper edge 22.

Strips of adhesivetape- 28, which serve as adhering means, aresecured tothe water-impervious sheet 14 at the unfolded backside of the diaperadjacent bothof the connecting sides 17 and 19.-These strips are securedto the diaper in the' body-covering section thereof intermediate thewaistband portion of the diaper at one end edge 22 and the center'of thecrotch portion of the diaper which maybe coincidentwith the center axisof symmetry Y-Y.- The strips are spaced away from 'the waistbandportiontowards the center axis of the crotch'portion and located at a distancefrom the axis approximately equal to one-half the dimension of thecircumference of the infantsupper thigh which is to be located in thisregion of the diaper when the diaper is in place upon the infant. Sincediapers, and particularly disposable diapers, are made in a variety ofsizes in which the sizes are related to weight ranges of infants, it ispossible to determine the average location of these strips for thevarious sizes of the diapers. Furthermore, these strips can be placed ina variety of positions when adhered to the corresponding part of thediaper to secure the diapers snugly in place about the thigh of theinfant when the diaper is placed upon the infant, thereby being able toserve its function with infants having thigh sizes which are differentfrom the average of infants within the size range for which the diaperis designed. The tape strips 28 extend beyond the connecting sides 17and 19, and may include facing strips 30 to cover the adhesive on theprotruding portions of the tape strips 28 until those portions areutilized during application of the diaper to an infant.

The diaper of FIG. 1 may be further folded for convenience of packagingand for compact storage, as described below. As illustrated in FIG. 2,the diaper 10 is folded inwardly along the fold lines 32 and 34, whichmay be defined by the location of their end points. Thus, one end(31,33) of each fold line 32 and 34 lies on the corresponding first foldline 16 and 18 intermediate the axis Y and the tape tabs 30. The otherend (35,37) of each second fold line (32,34) lies on the diaper end edge22 directly in line with the first end of that fold line, with the foldlines 32 and 34 being generally aligned with the longitudinal axis X.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the diaper 10 has a final fold generally alongthe center axis Y, thus providing a final configuration which issubstantially rectangular for convenient packaging of the diaper. Thefolded diaper has a central trapezoidal region A of multiple thicknessand a pair of right-triangular regions B and C of multiple thickness,with the fold line portions 25-31 and 27-33 defining hypotenuses of theregions B and C, respectively, and the fold line portions 31-21 and33-23 defining non-parallel sides of the region A. Accordingly, each ofthe regions B and C has a hypotenuse in close proximity to and generallyaligned with a nonparallel side of the region A without overlap of theregions, providing a folded diaper of uniform thickness which is readyfor packaging.

The packaged diaper is applied to the infant as described below. Thediaper 10 of FIG. 4 is first removed from the package and unfolded alongthe fold line coincident with the center axis YY to provide the diaperin its configuration shown in FIG. 2. The second set of folds in thediaper of FIG. 2 are then unfolded along the fold lines 32 and 34providing the folded diaper of FIG. 1, and the infant is positioned onthe diaper with the edge 22 of the diaper located at the back of thebaby at the waistline thereof. Next, the first set of folds in thediaper of FIG. 1 are at least partially unfolded along the fold lines 16and 18 either before or after the diaper edge is brought up forwardbetween the babys thighs.

Since the babys thighs rest on the first set of folds in the crotchportion of the diaper, they remain folded in this diaper portion whenthe first diaper folds are unfolded, and an additional pair of foldlines 38 and 39 are formed extending generally from the baby's thighs tothe end edge 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. For purposes ofclarity in further describing the fold lines 38 and 39, the left andright second diaper folds, as viewed in FIGS. 8 and 9, are shown in thefolded and unfolded configuration, respectively. As shown in FIG.

8, if the babys legs are in a raised position when the first set offolds are unfolded, the diaper edges 24 and 26 may be folded over tobring these edges adjacent the end points 31 and 33, respectively, andthe fold lines 38 and 39 extend from the crotch region in the diaperportion which will be located adjacent the lower surface of the infantsthighs to the end edge 20. However, if the babys legs are stretched outin a straight, lay flat condition, the fold lines 38 and 39 intersectthe edges 24 and 26 closer to the end edge 20, and the fold lines 38 and39 extend from the upper or front part of the thighs to the edge 20, asshown in FIG. 9.

After bringing the diaper edge 20 forward between the thighs, theportions of the diaper at the waist can then be held together around thewaist of the infant in any customary fashion, for example, by pinning asshown in FIG. 3. After placement of the diaper about the infant byunfolding and pinning as directed, the strips of adhesive tape 28 willproject from the back portion of the diaper immediately above theinfants legs. The facing strips 30 may then be removed and theprotruding portions of the tape strips 28 may be adhered to thecorresponding front body-covering portion of the diaper intermediate thewaistband portion at the other end edge 20 and the center of the diaper.

Thus, the adhering means 28 are utilized to tighten the diaper about theinfants legs to secure a snug fit and reduce any openings in the diaperthrough which waste may pass. Moreover, the diaper portion which remainsin a folded condition provides a narrowing of the diaper in the crotchregion, in order that the diaper may conform to the body contour aboutthe infants legs for an improved fit, and the bulk of the diapermaterial in the thigh region is brought closer against the side of thethighs. Further, the bulk of the diaper in the crotch area is reduceddue to retention of the pleated or folded diaper material firmly againstthe infants thighsby the thigh-opening closure tabs 28.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the diaper of FIG. 1 is shown in an invertedposition and having another embodiment of the adhering means. The diaper10 includes a pair of adhesive tape strips or adhering means 40 havingone end 42 secured to the backside of the sheet 14. The tape strips 40are positioned adjacent the connecting sides 17 and 19 and are generallyaligned with the sides 17 and 19. The free ends of the tape strips 40may have removable facing strips 44 to cover the adhesive, as previouslydiscussed. As illustrated in FIG. 6, after placement of the diaper aboutthe infant by unfolding and pinning, as described in connection withFIG. 3, a tuck or fold 46 is made in the diaper adjacent the infantslegs, the facing strips 44 are removed, and the free ends of the tapestrips 40 are secured to the diaper 10 across the tucks 46. In thismanner, the tucks or pleats 46 are secured by the adhering means 40 toeliminate gaps in the diaper about the infants legs and secure a snugfit.

It is contemplated that the tape strips 40 may be positioned anywherealong the connecting sides 17 and 19, but preferably they are located inthe region of the diaper which surrounds the infants leg afterplacement, which includes the front portion of the diaper. The adheringmeans of the present invention may also include a plurality of the tapestrips 40 along each of the connecting sides, which may be utilized toreduce larger gaps in the diaper or may be strategically placed toeliminate certain configurations of openings. Also, the

free ends of the strips maybe directed toward either of the end edges 20or 22. v

In another embodiment of the invention, the adhering means is secured toa generally flat diaper 10, as illustrated in FIG. 7, which is similarto the diaper of FIGS. 1 and 5 in an unfolded configuration. The diaperhas a pair of end edges 20 and 22 and a pair of lateral edges 24 and 26which extend between the end edges 20 and 22, with the lateral edges 24and 26 defining sides 17 and 19 connecting the end edges 20 and 22.

A pair of adhesive tape strips 50 are secured to the backside of thesheet 14 adjacent the connecting sides 17 and 19 and intermediate thewaistband portion of the diaper atone end edge 22 and the center of thecrotch portion of the diaper. The tape strips 50 extend beyond theconnecting sides 17 and 19 and may include facing strips 52, aspreviously described. A pair of tape strips 60 are secured to the sheet14 adjacent to and generally aligned with the connecting sides 17 and19, and may include facing strips 62. The strips 60 are preferablypositioned along the sides 17 and 19 in the region of the diaper whichsurrounds the infants legs after placement. The diaper 10 of FIG. 7 isplaced about the infant without folding, and the portions of the diaperat the waist are fastened in the customary fashion, such as by pinning.After placement, the tape strips 50 are utilized to secure thebody-covering sections of the diaper above the infants legs, asdiscussed in connection with FIGS. 1-3, while the tape strips 60 areused to secure tucks in the diaper adjacent the infants legs, asdescribed in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, the adhering means ofFIG. 7 combines both types of adhering means previously discussed toobtain a close fit about the infants legs, but is is understood that theflat diaper of FIG. 7 may utilize either of the strips 50 or 60 alone.Similarly, it is contemplated that the two types of adhering means maybe combined in a single folded diaper, such as by including the tapestrips 40 in the diaper 10 of FIG. 1, along with the tape strips 28.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A folded diaper having:

a pair of end edges;

a pair of lateral edges extending between said end edges, said end edgescomprising front and back waistband portions of the diaper;

a crotch portion located substantially midway between said waistbandportions;

front and back body-covering sections intermediate said crotch andwaistband portions;

a first pair of inward folds of the lateral diaper edges, with the firstfolds defining a pair of first fold lines extending from adjacent thejuncture of one end edge and the lateral edges to the other end edge,with the juncture of the first fold lines and the other end edge beingspaced from said lateral edges, and with the first fold lines definingat least a major portion of sides connecting the front and backwaistband portions of the diaper;

adhering means located adjacent each of said conne'cting sidesintermediate at least one of said waistband portions and the center ofthe diaper,

whereby said diaper may be tightened about an infants legs by theadhering means after placement of the diaper about the infant to securea snug fit;

a second pair of inward folds of the connecting sides, with the secondfolds defining a second pair of fold lines generally aligned with thelongitudinal axis of the diaper and extending from the one end edge tothe connecting sides adjacent the center of the diaper; and

a third fold about the lateral center axis of the diaper,

thereby defining a substantially rectangular configuration of the foldeddiaper.

2. The diaper of claim 1 wherein said diaper is a disposable diaperhaving an absorbent pad and a water impervious backing sheet overlyingthe back of the absorbent pad, and said adhering means comprises tapesecured to said sheet.

3. The diaper of claim 1 wherein said adhering means is located on atleast one of said body-covering sections and positioned intermediate oneof said waistband portions and the crotch portion of the diaper, wherebysaid adhering means may be adhered to the other bodycovering portionintermediate the waistband and crotch portions after placement of thediaper.

4. The diaper of claim 3 wherein said adhering means extend beyond saidconnecting sides.

5. The diaper of claim 4 wherein said adhering means is secured to theback body-covering section and is adhered to the front body-coveringsection after place ment of the diaper.

6. The diaper of claim 4 wherein said adhering means are spaced adistance from the center of the diaper approximately equal to one-halfthe circumference around the thighs of an average-sized infant.

7. The diaper of claim 1 wherein said adhering means are generallyaligned with the connecting sides, whereby the adhering means may securea tuck in the diaper adjacent the infants legs.

8. The diaper of claim 7 wherein said adhering means is positionedintermediate said waistband portions and the crotch region of thediaper.

9. The diaper of claim 7 wherein said adhering means is positionedadjacent the infants'legs after placement of the diaper.

10. The diaper of claim 7 including additional adhering means locatedadjacent each of said connecting sides on at least one of saidbody-covering sections and positioned intermediate one of said waistbandportions and the crotch portion of the diaper, with the additionaladhering means extending beyond said connecting sides, whereby saidadditional adhering means may be adhered to the other body-coveringportion intermediate the waistband and crotch portions after placementof the diaper to tighten the diaper about the infants legs.

11. A diaper having:

a pair of end edges;

a pair of sides connecting said end edges, said end edges comprisingfront and back waistband; portions of the diaper;

a crotch portion located substantially midway between said waistbandportions;

front and back body-covering sections intermediate said crotch andwaistband portions; and

a pair of tape strips, with each of said strips being generally alignedwith a connecting side and spaced from the side after placement of thediaper,

said strips being located in the region of the diaper which surroundsthe infants legs after placement of the diaper to secure a tuck in thediaper adjacent the infants legs.

12, The diaper of claim 11 wherein said diaper includes lateral edgesextending between said end edges, said lateral edges being foldedinwardly in at least said crotch portion with the folds defining atleast a portion of said connecting sides.

13. The diaper of claim 11 including lateral edges extending betweensaid end edges, with said lateral edges defining the connecting sides.

14. A diaper of claim 1 l folded into a generally rectangular shape andhaving a central trapezoidal region of multiple thickness and a pair ofgenerally righttriangular regions of multiple thickness each having ahypotenuse in close proximity to and generally aligned with anon-parallel side of said trapezoidal region.

15. The diaper of claim 11 wherein said diaper is a disposable diaperhaving an absorbent pad and a water imprevious backing sheet overlyingthe back of the absorbent pad.

16. The diaper of claim 1 1 including adhering means located on at leastone of siad body-covering sections and positioned intermediate one ofsaid waistband por tions and the crotch portion of the diaper, wherebysaid adhering means may be adhered to the other bodycovering portionintermediate the waistband and crotch portions after placement of thediaper.

17. The diaper of claim 16 wherein said adhering means extend beyondsaid connecting sides.

18. The diaper of claim 17 wherein said adhering means is secured to theback body-covering section and is adhered to the front body-coveringsection after placement of the diaper.

19. The diaper of claim 17 wherein said adhering means are spaced adistance from the center of the diaper approximately equal to one-halfthe circumference around the thighs of an average-sized infant.

1. A folded diaper having: a pair of end edges; a pair of lateral edges extending between said end edges, said end edges comprising front and back waistband portions of the diaper; a crotch portion located substantially midway between said waistband portions; front and back body-covering sections intermediate said crotch and waistband portions; a first pair of inward folds of the lateral diaper edges, with the first folds defining a pair of first fold lines extending from adjacent the juncture of one end edge and the lateral edges to the other end edge, with the juncture of the first fold lines and the other end edge being spaced from said lateral edges, and with the first fold lines defining at least a major portion of sides connecting the front and back waistband portions of the diaper; adhering means located adjacent each of said connecting sides intermediate at least one of said waistband portions and the center of the diaper, whereby said diaper may be tightened about an infant''s legs by the adhering means after placement of the diaper about the infant to secure a snug fit; a second pair of inward folds of the connecting sides, with the second folds defining a second pair of fold lines generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the diaper and extending from the one end edge to the connecting sides adjacent the center of the diaper; and a third fold about the lateral center axis of the diaper, thereby defining a substantially rectangular configuration of the folded diaper.
 2. The diaper of claim 1 wherein said diaper is a disposable diaper having an absorbent pad and a water impervious backing sheet overlying the back of the absorbent pad, and said adhering means comprises tape secured to said sheet.
 3. The diaper of claim 1 wherein said adhering means is located on at least one of said body-covering sections and positioned intermediate one of said waistband portions and the crotch portion of the diaper, whereby said adhering means may be adhered to the other body-covering portion intermediate the waistband and crotch portions after placement of the diaper.
 4. The diaper of claim 3 wherein said adhering means extend beyond said connecting sides.
 5. The diaper of claim 4 wherein said adhering means is secured to the back body-covering section and is adhered to the front body-covering section after placement of the diaper.
 6. The diaper of claim 4 wherein said adhering means are spaced a distance from the center of the diaper approximately equal to one-half the circumference around the thighs of an average-sized infant.
 7. The diaper of claim 1 wherein said adhering means are generally aligned with the connecting sides, whereby the adhering means may secure a tuck in the diaper adjacent the infant''s legs.
 8. The diaper of claim 7 wherein said adhering means is positioned intermediate said waistband portions and the crotch region of the diaper.
 9. The diaper of claim 7 wherein said adhering means is positioned adjacent the infant''s legs after placement of the diaper.
 10. The diaper of claim 7 including additional adhering means located adjacent each of said connecting sides on at least one of said body-covering sections and positioned intermediate one of said waistband portions and the crotch portion of the diaper, with the additional adhering means extending beyond said connecting sides, whereby said additional adhering means may be adhered to the other body-covering portion intermediate the waistband and crotch portions after placement of the diaper to tighten the diaper about the infant''s legs.
 11. A diaper having: a pair of end edges; a pair of sides connecting said end edges, said end edges comprising front and back waistband portions of the diaper; a crotch portion located substantially midway between said waistband portions; front and back body-covering sections intermediate said crotch and waistband portions; and a pair of tape strips, with each of said strips being generally aligned with a connecting side and spaced from the side after placement of the diaper, said strips being located in the region of the diaper which surrounds the infant''s legs after placement of the diaper to secure a tuck in the diaper adjacent the infant''s legs.
 12. The diaper of claim 11 wherein said diaper includes lateral edges extending between said end edges, said lateral edges being folded inwardly in at least said crotch portion with the folds defining at least a portion of said connecting sides.
 13. The diaper of claim 11 including lateral edges extending between said end edges, with said lateral edges defining the connecting sides.
 14. A diaper of claim 11 folded into a generally rectangular shape and having a central trapezoidal region of multiple thickness and a pair of generally right-triangular regions of multiple thickness each having a hypotenuse in close proximity to and generally aligned with a non-parallel side of said trapezoidal region.
 15. The diaper of claim 11 wherein said diaper is a disposable diaper having an absorbent pad and a water imprevious backing sheet overlying the back of the absorbent pad.
 16. The diaper of claim 11 including adhering means located on at least one of siad body-covering sections and positioned intermediate one of said waistband portions and the crotch portion of the diaper, whereby said adhering means may be adhered to the other body-covering portion intermediate the waistband and crotch portions after placement of the diaper.
 17. The diaper of claim 16 wherein said adhering means extend beyond said connecting sides.
 18. The diaper of claim 17 wherein said adhering means is secured to the back body-covering section and is adhered to the front body-covering section after placement of the diaper.
 19. The diaper of claim 17 wherein said adhering means are spaced a distance from the center of the diaper approximately equal to one-half the circumference around the thighs of an average-sized infant. 